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I'm tired of mosquitos biting me. If i can't stop them biting me, the next best thing is to stop them biting me a second time. So what's the best (safe for me) way to make myself poisonous to mosquitos, and optionally other bugs that might bite me?

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[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 81 points 1 month ago

Pretty sure I just stumbled onto the orgins story for a radioactive super villain.

[-] goldteeth@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 1 month ago

"Now now, Batman, you should know that when a little pest like you dances with the Bug Zapper... He'd better be ready for a shock!"

[-] Nikls94@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I was thinking about the Mosquitoman but since the Swedes call Batman the Läderlappen I’d say we use the Swedish name Mygga and call him Myggaman - drawn to the burning flames of war and he just blasts high pitched sounds from every electric device all night to turn people into rage.

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Hmm? Did you say something? I was asleep in my recliner.....why is one shoe on? Oh right....I was going to that party......zzzzz

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 62 points 1 month ago

I do three things and mosquitos avoid me: I eat a ton of garlic, I take a ton of drugs, and I smoke a ton of weed. My blood is semisolid.

[-] mecfs@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

After I got long covid mosquitos stopped trying to eat me lol.

So maybe sickness helps idk.

[-] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 41 points 1 month ago

Permethrin clothing. Works fucking amazing. I have a jumpsuit treaded with it, kills ticks, mosquitoes, black flies. Not just repel but kill on contact!

[-] nublug 62 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Permethrin is toxic to cats; however, it has little effect on dogs. Many cats die after being given flea treatments intended for dogs, or by contact with dogs having recently been treated with permethrin. In cats it may induce hyperexcitability, tremors, seizures, and death.

fyi

[-] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

Thanks for the info. I have 3 cats and I was about to look into this.

[-] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

That said, prethreated clothing should be fine to have around cats as long as they aren't actively licking/eating them.

[-] VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

My cats are a bit special so I wouldn't put it past them.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 29 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I think sugar makes you more attractive to mosquitoes. I know from first-hand experience that if you're always hung over, and you smoke cigarettes, then the city mosquitos will leave you alone. The high country mosquitos don't give a fuck though, they'll take whatever they can get. Otherwise you want 97% DEET. Don't bother with any other stuff, it doesn't work. 97% DEET! Someone's going to come along and say "nooo, skin so soft mixed with water repels mosquitoes!". They're liars. 97% DEET.

[-] scrion@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago

DEET works, but is also not exactly healthy and does irritate both skin and mucus membranes. Also, applying DEET over sunscreen reduces the effect of the sunscreen by about 30%. Unless you are in a tropical environment with dangers of Malaria carrying insects, (P)Icaridin is a good alternative:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25936273/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/icaridin

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25522134/

https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/25/suppl_1/S10/4990399

[-] Fondots@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

Purely annecdotally, picaridin has worked as well or better than DEET for me. I barely get bitten when I use it, and I usually get bitten up pretty badly when I use DEET (though less than when I don't use it)

I also find picaridin bug spray to not feel greasy and has less odor than deet, which is nice.

DEET is also fairly toxic to dogs (and cats, but I don't have one of those) and while it's not licensed for use on dogs, it doesn't appear to be toxic to them, which I appreciate as a dog owner (I'm unsure about cats, that info seemed less readily available but I also didn't put much effort into finding it)

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I never had any success with it. It might work in the cities, and populated areas where the mosquitoes have other easy options, but literally the only thing that has ever worked reliably for me in the mountains is 97% DEET. Even the lesser concentration of it, I think it's 36%, didn't work. I've tried just about everything trying to get away from DEET, and none of it works reliably. If mosquitoes are bothering me in town it's usually enough to just wear one of those electric repellers that make dragonfly noises, but I only bother with that if I'm out golfing or something, and they're not particularly bad there. Wherever they're out in force, I whip out the DEET. Forewarning though, don't spray it on polyester because it can melt it, and like you said, keep it away from eyes, nose, and lips. We spray it onto our hand and then wipe it onto our face and ears.

[-] Ferris@infosec.pub 3 points 1 month ago

what noise does a dragonfly make?

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

From what I understand, it makes the sound of their wings beating. Dragonflies are natural predators of mosquitoes, so the mosquitoes instinctively avoid it.

[-] slorcher@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago

You need to buy Sawyer picaridin lotion. It's the most effective mosquito repellent I have found. I use it in high alpine environments where you can be swarmed by literally hundreds of mosquitos.

[-] Paragone@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago

DEET is the only chemical that I know-of which they HATE.

I use mosquito-netting to keep them away from me.

I don't want DEET touching me, at all, ever again.

No, I'm not a mosquito.

: p

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 month ago

See, if you hadn't wanted it to be safe, you could get all kinds of answers.

There really isn't anything you can get into your bloodstream that will kill the mosquitoes without causing some degree of issues for a human. The only question is how severe, and whether or not you can get it without a prescription.

Since we already have topical chemicals that keep them away relatively well, ingesting or injecting anything would be silly.

[-] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

Have you tried covering yourself in a uranium based slurry?

[-] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

~~Did you just tell OP to piss on themselves?~~ Nevermind, I got some words mixed up

[-] i_ben_fine@lemmy.one 3 points 1 month ago

did you mix up uranium and urine?

[-] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 5 points 1 month ago

I did, and I apologise.

[-] Coskii 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

So there are these things.. called "bug repellents" which do the trick nicely.

[-] thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 1 month ago

if your skin isn't bothered, anything with DEET is by far the most effective

The Ologies podcast has a great episode on Mosquitos that might help. The host talks to a mosquito scientist about what works and what doesnt and why. https://www.alieward.com/ologies/culicidology

[-] Sethayy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Of course it is a neurotoxin but if you're OK with that yeah it works the best

[-] thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

I bet you're afraid of fluorinated water too. Vaccines have mercury in them!

[-] Junkhead@slrpnk.net 10 points 1 month ago

dunno if it affected it or not but i was tripping massive balls on lsd and a mosquito sucked blood from me and seemed to get distorted and not be able to fly right lmfao

[-] Xanthrax@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

When you're out, use DEET and cover yourself. Try to only apply it to your clothes. It's toxic to humans. Are you out a lot? If so, I'd be worried about ticks and toxic plants as well.

If you have control of the land around you, make sure there's no stagnant water nearby. If you want to keep a pond, manage your mosquito population using local species if possible. In some places, you can also report stagnant bodies of water.

If they're inside, check your window screens. If you can't afford that, use a mosquito net and check my first answers.

[-] Sanctus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Get one of those bug lights with a sticky pad. Complete desolation of the mosquito population in my house. Then just never leave your house.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Eat a lot of onion and garlic. Eat fewer fruits like bananas.

[-] emmanuel_car@kbin.run 1 points 1 month ago

Anecdotally I have to disagree, for years I didn’t like or eat bananas, and most of my meal bases start with garlic and onion, but I’m always the first to get attacked by mosquitos.

[-] TootSweet@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Not a doctor. Really don't do/consume anything on the basis of what you hear on Lemmy.

But maybe the bacillus thuringiensis toxin? Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium that produces a natural pesticide that I've heard (again, not a doctor, don't take anything I say as medical advice) doesn't affect vertibrates. But mosquitos aren't vertibrates. So, (again, not an expert and this may be bullshit) maybe that means it's safe for humans to use.

But what do I mean by "use"? I'm guessing it might (not a doctor) be safe to use on the skin (if it could be obtained in medical-grade quality -- but I'm not an expert).

But I kindof doubt (though I could be wrong) that eating bacillus thurengiensis or the actual toxin would work. The toxin is (I believe, just from reading the bacillus thuringiensis Wikipedia page) a protein, and I don't think (ɹoʇɔop ɐ ʇou ɯɐ I) consumed proteins are likely to get into the bloodstream. (And if they did, I suspect (though I am not a doctor) that would cause you some problems, or at least an immune response and some inflamation or some such.)

[-] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 6 points 1 month ago

Before consuming Bug Powder Dust, read or watch Naked Lunch to know what you are in for

[-] tiredofsametab@kbin.run 5 points 1 month ago

safe for me

Well that's no fun :P

[-] resonate6279@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

I've had good luck using permethrin as a bug repellant instead of a clothing treatment.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Vitamin B-12. Take 1500 mg of B-12 daily. It will mask your blood's scent, when you sweat it out. It will make you smell faintly bitter, and prevents ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

So one thing to prevent the first is to mask/change your odor. Booze increases bites, sitting and smelling of smoke (including things like wood camp fire smoke,) will mask you; sugary things increase. Soaps and shampoos depend on the product.

Those coils or citronella can drive them off. The noise thingies too.

[-] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 month ago

I thought it was more common, but mosquito bites do not effect me, and I only get bit very very occasionally. My kid, on the other hand, gets eaten by mosquitoes and has a very harsh reaction.

What would cause mosquitoes to naturally not want to bite me & no itching/bumps/reaction to their bites?

[-] Sylvartas@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

For the no itching/bumps part, I think the absence of an immune system reaction (or a weak one) will do that

[-] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah, that tracks. 🫠

EDIT: Wait.. the itching is basically an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva. So, I'm not allergic?

[-] Sylvartas@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

IIRC the itching and inflammation is an immune response to the shit they inject you so you don't feel the bite as much while they're drinking, and huge bumps/lots of itching is an allergic reactions of sorts (which is really just the immune system going way overboard with a reaction to something that is not a threat or not a big one). So you may have no reaction to it, or a very light one

[-] cerement@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 month ago
[-] jimmy90@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Stop fighting them. Use anti histamine cream on the bitea

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Menthol oil

[-] mvirts@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

You could look for inspiration at pet flea and tick products

this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
146 points (100.0% liked)

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